White House to Plant Organic Vegetable Garden

HA...even those at the "top" are scamblin' on the bandwagon!!!
Note to ChemicalHeads........see the word "organic" ?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/dining/19garden-web.html?ref=dining
"While the organic garden will provide food for the first familys
meals and formal dinners, its most important role, Mrs. Obama said,
will be to educate children about healthful, locally grown fruit and
vegetables at time when obesity has become a national concern.
In an interview in her office, Mrs. Obama said, My hope is that
through children, they will begin to educate their families and that
will, in turn, begin to educate our communities.
Twenty-three fifth graders from Bancroft Elementary School in
Washington will help her dig up the soil for the 1,100-square-foot
plot in a spot visible to passers-by on E Street. (Its just below the
Obama girls swing set.) Students from the school, which has had a
garden since 2001, will also help plant, harvest and cook the
vegetables, berries and herbs. "
http://sustainablog.org/2009/03/18/white-house-to-plant-organic-vegetable-garden /
Charlie

It could be one of the last organic gardens...
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-875
Section 3 of H.R. 875 defines what type of establishments would be subject to
the regulations in this legislation. It
that section, a "food production facility" is defined this way:
The term βfood production facilityβ means any farm, ranch, orchard,
vineyard, aquaculture facility, or confined
animal-feeding operation.
So that would include.....
*All organic farms
*All small farms
*All family farms
*Even small family gardens if you sell any produce to your neighbor at all
If you read this bill, you will see that it gives the government the power to
regulate what is "safe" farming, and
therefore if organic farmers are not using enough herbicide on their plants to
be "safe" or they aren't following the
same "quality control" procedures as the big guys they could be instantly put
out of business.
H.R. 875 was introduced by Democrat Rosa DeLauro in February whose husband,
Stanley Greenburg, works for Monsanto. Go
figure...
Charlie wrote:

Arrrgh, brain hurts. No wonder laws get passed by congress that no
congressperson has read. Contact local representatives to allow
small farms (family farms) to continue. Small farms could post all soil
amendments and treatments to plants to allow for informed consent,
otherwise it is Alice in Wonderland time again.
This gleaned from the discussion around "Q&A on H.R. 875: Food Safety
Modernization Act of 2009":
Q. will this bill regulate private gardens?
A. Not explicitly but review Wickard v. Filburn, 317 U.S. 111 (1942), of
a United States Supreme Court decision interpreting the Commerce Clause.
Under this decision a farmer growing wheat for himself with no intention
to sell it at market was deemed in violation under this interpretation.
wiki - "Farmer Roscoe Filburn argued that since the excess wheat he
produced was intended solely for home consumption it could not be
regulated through the interstate Commerce Clause. The Supreme Court
rejected this argument, reasoning that if Filburn had not used
home-grown wheat he would have had to buy wheat on the open market. This
effect on interstate commerce, the Court reasoned, may not be
substantial from the actions of Filburn alone but through the cumulative
actions of thousands of other farmers just like Filburn its effect would
certainly become substantial. Therefore Congress could regulate wholly
intrastate, non-commercial activity if such activity, viewed in the
aggregate, would have a substantial effect on interstate commerce, even
if the individual effects are trivial."
Therefore, according to SCOTUS, Roscoe Filburn was not at liberty to
provide for himself but had to go to the 'open market' and purchase what
he was entirely capable of growing for himself more cheaply.
This is how private gardens can get roped into being subject under FSA
purview. By the above interpretation, since you're growing more of your
own food in a garden for yourself, you're affecting 'interstate
commerce' by not buying as much food from your 'interstate' supplied
grocer, lowering demand and thereby depressing 'interstate' prices. You
risk being at fault for having overtly done nothing but try to feed
yourself by growing your own food!
Arrrgh. I'm glad we have a messiah in the White House.
-----

--

- Billy
"For the first time in the history of the world, every human being is

Stanley Greenburg http://www.gqrr.com/index.php?ID@3 isn't an employee of
Monsanto as this posts alludes to, his company has had them for a client.
This doesn't necessarily make her a proponent of Monsanto chemicals.
However, the bill needs to NOT lump all food production farms and gardens
into this bill. I've called my congressman this morning. I actually got to
talk to him personally. We have very active farmer's markets and organic
farms in this area and thanked me for pointing out the problems with the
wording of this bill. As we discussed it the fact that government mandated
"chemical programs' weren't really the issue of greatest concern here but
the taxes and fees that would be imposed on these smaller facilities at the
same rate as large corporate producers. If this bill, as it's worded now,
insists, for example, that a small farm who sells organic produce at a local
farmer's market is expected to pay for inspections at the same rate as
corporate farms they will cease to exist. This bill wants all "food
production facilities" to pay for inspection and enforcement through taxes
and licensing fees. We need to have better wording and not blanket policies
for the people this will impact.
I suggest people contact their Congressman and express these concerns, point
out that we can't tax small local farms out of existence. But, it needs to
be done in a way that sticks to the facts and not go screaming and waving
pitchforks that the government is going to spray everything with poison.
Stating your concerns in a intelligent logic manner will get you much
further than just spouting off the wall fear factors.
Val

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-875&version=ih&nid=t0%3Aih%3A710
SEC. 405. CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES.
(a) Civil Sanctions-
(1) CIVIL PENALTY-
(A) IN GENERAL- Any person that commits an act that violates the food safety law
(including a regulation promulgated or
order issued under the food safety law) may be assessed a civil penalty by the
Administrator of not more than $1,000,000
for each such act.
(B) SEPARATE OFFENSE- Each act described in subparagraph (A) and each day during
which that act continues shall be
considered a separate offense.
so, by not putting chemicals into your garden, it will be possible to be fined
$1,000,000. if you grow an edible plant
on your property the argument could easily be made that you are technically
under this jurisdiction. THis is what the
bill states and you can bet $1,000,001 that Monsato (or whoever else Rosa
Delauris is bending over for) will pay for the
legal cases against any little person who challenges this.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-875&version=ih&nid=t0%3Aih%3A836
SEC. 506. REGULATIONS.
The Administrator may promulgate such regulations as the Administrator
determines are necessary or appropriate to
perform the duties of the Administrator.
"We'll take any measure what so ever to ensure that you are putting chemicals
into your garden."
what in this bill ISN'T good for Monsanto? The fact that the company with which
Stanley Greenburg is paid from Monsanto
to represent, will also be paid to sway the opinion of the advisory committee.
So if the congress woman's husband is
taking kickbacks from Monsato (but not "working" for them) - you can bet that
she too is receiving generous benefits
too, and America will become a dictatorship giving one guy (or the way the money
flows) control over what any American
is allowed to grow and eat.
Val wrote:

I don't know about you, but I found that to be kind of creepy. I mean,
sure, organic gardens are the way to go, but the whole "child propaganda"
concept is a bit frightening, even if it is well intentioned.
Sort of reminds me of those kindergarteners and their political singing,
something else which was rather creepy.
Jon

Problem is, there are people who oppose something simply because of the
name. You find them on both sides of the fence, though lately the neoCons
seem louder, at least to me.
Sort of religious zealots of any stripe: "I have the ONE TRUE RELIGION,
and the rest of you heathens are going to HELL!!!"
Easier than engaging one's brain I guess. Best ignored.
I've got bigger worries, like who did my heirloom Bok Choi have a dalliance
with one summer when I wasn't looking, and can I get the stray genes back
out of the pool.
Blessed Be,
Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

It should begin with the parents but, it doesn't. I am 65 and I have taught
more kids about gardening, not that I am that great, and many of them have
learned and taken it into their lives as adults. Some did convince their
parents to try it but mostly not. It provided some fun and some cash for a
few over the years. Have a whole new crop now that I am planting in
containers. The kids, mostly new ones in the last two years, they are
delighting in finding things to plant in.

Didn't watch the show as a child; I rode my bike around (unsupervised and
without a helmet!), played in the dirt (digging holes was a favorite
activity) hung out at the library listening to records or reading books,
skateboarded, went to the beach, played army with realistic looking toy
guns, you know, normal things kids are supposed to do when they are allowed
to be KIDS and not treated as commodities to be molded and controlled by the
party in power.
My point was that injecting social engineering by targeting the most
vulnerable, ie our children, is a very dangerous thing to do, for so very
many reasons. That this isn't readily apparent to everyone is even more
disturbing, but that is a sign of the times we live in today.
Jon

You think gardening is propaganda? Gardening requires the use of
arithmetic to determine how many plants can be alloted to a given area
(geometry), or how much fish emulsion per quart or 5 gallons (algebra).
Gardening requires monitoring of plants and soil for moisture content,
crowding by weeds, and insect predation (observation, and biology).
Gardening involves, classification of soil composition (geology) as well
as pH (chemistry), classification of soil organisms and their
interactions with each other and the plants (ecology), classification of
beneficial, and harmful insects (biology), dealing with animals that may
damage a garden (cats, dogs, raccoons, gofers, jays, ect.: ecology and
zoology) classification of chemicals (e.g. K, P, and N) as nutrients
(chemistry, botany, physiology), why we eat certain plants (human
physiology, nutrition, health), how to prepare the plants for eating
(culture, nutrition, health), countering risks of working in full sun on
hot days (physiology and health), and the importance of exercise
(health).
Other than that, it is a complete waste of time.
Social engineering? You may want to check out B. F. Skinner's book,
"Walden Two", although it may set your "free will" conceits on edge.

--

- Billy
"For the first time in the history of the world, every human being is

You know, Billy, I am at a point in my life where I don't make any time for
people who use personal information I provide about myself to denigrate me,
regardless of how insignificant and light-hearted you may consider it to be.
Well, actually, I did make time to respond, so that part is not entirely
accurate.
Jon

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